21 of 28 convicted in 2004 Madrid train bombings

Los Angeles Times

Published Thursday, November 01, 2007

MADRID, Spain -- A Spanish court Wednesday convicted 21 men in the 2004 bombings of Madrid's train system, the deadliest terror attack in the country's history, but acquitted an Egyptian national whom authorities once touted as the mastermind.

The mixed verdicts for a total of 28 defendants, contained in a 700-page ruling and read in a heavily guarded courtroom on the outskirts of the capital, capped a case that exposed the workings of Islamic terror networks in the heart of Europe and foreshadowed other attacks that would follow in London and elsewhere.

A total of 191 people were killed and nearly 2,000 injured when bombs hidden in backpacks ripped through four commuter trains during the morning rush hour March 11, 2004. The investigation eventually revealed a "franchise" of militants who were inspired by al-Qaida but who originated in northern Africa and had lived and worked in Spain for years.

The trial, which started in February, has reminded Spaniards of their continued vulnerability to attack. The proceedings were used as a political lightning rod in a bitter fight between the leftist government, elected just days after the bombings, and the right-wing party that lost power.

Three defendants, a Spaniard and two Moroccans, were convicted of mass murder and sentenced to thousands of years in prison. Under Spanish law, however, they will serve no more than 40 years.

Eighteen other defendants were found guilty of serious but lesser charges, including membership in an armed terrorist organization. The rest were acquitted.

A gasp went up in the courthouse, packed with survivors of the bombings, families of the dead and scores of journalists, when some of the acquittals were read. Several relatives said later they were furious and disappointed.

"I do not like that murderers are being let loose," said Pilar Manjon, whose 20-year-old son was killed in the bomb blasts and who now leads a victims group.

"This is not about reprisals or vengeance," said Jesus Rodriguez, who lost most of his hearing in the bombings. "But society needs a solution, and this has not been made clear."

Mastermind acquitted

Perhaps the most startling acquittal for some at the court was that of Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed, once viewed as the mastermind, who is in an Italian prison and who listened to the verdict by teleconference. In Italy, he was convicted of belonging to a terrorist organization and is serving a sentence that recently was reduced from 10 to eight years.

Endika Zulueta, Ahmed's attorney, argued that much of the evidence collected against his client was questionable. The case against Ahmed relied heavily on wiretaps conducted by Italian investigators that captured conversations that might have been translated incorrectly, Zulueta maintained.

In one of those conversations, investigators said, Ahmed claimed the Madrid bombings as his project. Other testimony suggested, however, that he was a braggart who had little active role in terrorism.